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Music video: Mary J. Blige - Right now

Mary J. Blige's forthcoming album The London sessions has caused a stir she's not made since Crispy chicken gate, and has had people interested in her music in a way we'd not witnessed since 2005's The breakthrough. After going through the motions with Growing pains, Stronger with each tear and My life II... The journey continues (Act 1) Mary is finally breaking the cycle and doing something new. Upping and leaving the States to record an album in London with some of the cities hottest talent right now, such as Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith and producers Naughty boy and Disclosure.

If MJB fans were in any doubt over Mary abandoning her roots, you needn't worry. "Right now" should be all the assurance you need to know that Mary is still doing Mary. Disclosure have done a great job of giving Mary a new sound, whilst keeping her true to her old one. Visually, this is MJB doing how she always does. The only difference is she's doing it in London.

I've never been excited for a Mary J. Blige release, but The London sessions has piqued my interest. If this form of reinvention works for Mary, then hopefully it was spark a chain reaction in her stepping out of her comfort zone with future albums. Maybe Mary's actions will spark something in her peers such as Mariah Carey to try something new.

The London sessions is set for a UK release on November 24, with the US due to follow on December 2, but the album has already made its way online. Somebody gettin' fired.

Anything is better than this shitty "anime ending"-esque crap she's pulling here. BoA should be ashamed of selling less than 20k copies of her latest "album" (I'm using the term "album" losely to describe WHO'S BACK?, of course) and should leave Japan ASAP. Maybe releasing something in Korea will freshen up her act, I dunno.

I'm in Japan now and this campaign is EVERYWHERE...damn near every train i get on, and i've seen a few posters at the entertainment centers too. Everytime i see it I think, "damn, she making them coins!" I makes me want a 3DS too! lol

Sharaya been shuttin it down on the cool for a hot minute now...she's big in the dance world for her moves and the fact that she's danced (and choreographed) for a few of the big names. She's been making waves with a partnership with Alexander Wang, so hopefully this will give her some much needed exposure. I love me some Nicki Minaj and the rest, but Sharaya (like Missy did...) is making dancing music for dancers! We need that good groove music back!

I liked the concept of each song representing a different key on a keyboard, but I just feel like it was poorly executed overall. Like, some shit was flawless (HOME/CONTROL), but other tracks (like 12345678/ESC/RETURN) just felt like afterthoughts. Plus, Toshiko got the shaft as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed every track on there. It made an interesting departure from the more club-oriented tracks which tend to wear on me quickly, with the exception of MORE!x3. SHIFT is still my jam and I actually liked RETURN so much I wrote lyrics to it. I'll that there's not enough Toshiko, but I think that wouldn't even be a problem if this wasn't a CAPSULE album, you know? Overall, it the album just flowed really well for me and scratched my itch for something chill and experimental, but that's just me, I guess.

Yeah, I feel you. If it were a Nakata solo album with him getting his Trent Reznor on, then I'd be totally down with it (them soundtracks to The Social Network and The Girl With The Stupid Tattoos were to die for). But a CAPSULE album, that was not. :/

BoA's best ballad is without a doubt "Moon & Sunrise." She wrote that song when she was around 15 years old yet its more mature and sentimental than any of her recent ballads. "Over ~Across The Time~" and "Song With No Name" deserve special mention. BoA lost her depth and substance, someone give this woman some inspiration.